Development of Human Resources for Health Information Systems in the Americas

Development of Human Resources for Health Information Systems in the Americas
human resources for health

Objectives

  • Define a methodology for mapping health occupations in the region. 

  • Identify actors involved in the development of the Development of the Human Resources for Health Information Systems in the Americas (HRHIS).

  • Validate a methodology for the evaluation of HRHIS maturity.

  • Discuss updates of the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA) at the regional and global level.

  • Outline the concept and steps of a Health Labor Market Analysis (HLMA).

  • Introduce the use of NHWA to inform HLMA in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Participation by invitation

Background

Identifying the maturity conditions of each one of the systems will help guide cooperation actions at the country level. On the other hand, in an intersectoral and fragmented field such as the HRH, data is the property of different government actors in the educational, health, labor, and finance sectors, as well as the private sector, social security, and professional associations in each country. A broad vision regarding this map of actors will facilitate the identification of strategies to form alliances that favor information sharing.

To improve data analysis and effectively plan the health workforce in the region, a Health Labor Market Analysis (HLMA) becomes necessary. It can identify trends and provide a comprehensive understanding of the key factors influencing the supply and demand of health workers, improving forecast and planning for the health worker needs of the future and guiding short-term strategies to address immediate issues. Therefore, when initiating an HLMA in a country, it is important first to assess the implementation of NHWA. Depending on the situation, it may be advised to strengthen the implementation of NHWA in the country, using the network of stakeholders involved.

At the global level, given the requirements of the National Health Workforce Account, in particular, the categorization of health professions has been a challenge with the available International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). The countries' diverse professions, denominations, and regulations require a particular study in the region, allowing for better understanding and comparability.

The experiences of the region's countries allow for identifying good practices on these issues and enrich the vision and options for developing and improving HRH information systems. For this reason, it is timely and necessary to hold subregional workshops that promote the construction of a community of practice and identify cooperation actions at the country level.


Documents